Tech: Amazon Announces Home Services Marketplace

Remember when you had to haul out the Yellow Pages to find the contact number for your local plumber? In yet another futuristic move, Amazon has released a new feature that will officially take Yellowpages off the map: a home services marketplace which will connect customers to over 700 services. The end goal of the new program is to have every product sold on Amazon tied to a potential home service. The move will likely mean even more profits for Amazon, incorporating home services will help Amazon to continue its role as a product middleman and give Amazon a part of the home services industry in the U.S., which the retailer estimates to be around $630 billion. “Third party estimates show that customers spend four times more on services each year than they do on physical products,” said Peter Faricy the vice-president of Amazon Marketplace. “So for us the opportunity is very big.” As for which home services will be offered, Amazon will run background checks on professionals and promises to match prices if customers find a lower price through another web source.